January 9th, 2023 by WCBC Radio
Governor Larry Hogan announced today that the Maryland Department of Labor has awarded more than $11 million in grants through the state’s Jobs That Build Initiative. The governor announced the $15 million, first-in-the-nation policy in October as a way to eliminate real-world barriers to careers in infrastructure and help keep pace with capital projects being funded by record levels of federal and state investments. To date, more than 1,800 Maryland workers will receive support from this policy initiative.
“As anticipated, the Jobs That Build Initiative is successfully addressing a critical workforce need for infrastructure workers in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “The pandemic has changed the way we work and for this critical industry that cannot provide the flexibility that other industries can, this policy is a proven way to recruit and retain the workers who will rebuild our state and country.”
The Jobs That Build Initiative provides employers up to $10K per employee, which can be used to deploy innovative strategies to offset costs associated with housing, child care or transportation needs. Grants can also be used to offer sign-on and retention bonuses for new or existing employees, as well as necessary worker training programs.
To date, more than 40 employers in all of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions have been awarded funds, and the Department of Labor continues to accept applications on a first-come, first serve basis. The governor also recommended an additional $15 million for the program in the upcoming FY24 budget.
“Expanding opportunity and creating innovative solutions to our modern workforce challenges has been a top focus of the Maryland Department of Labor,” said Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson. “I’m thrilled to report these impressive results in just the first three months of the initiative and fully believe this policy will continue to create many long-lasting careers while also helping us stay on track with our important infrastructure projects.”
Jobs That Build is the newest piece of the state’s ongoing workforce development and training initiatives. In September, the governor announced that the state had achieved the record milestone of 12,000 apprentices statewide. In March, the governor announced that Maryland would become the first state in the nation to remove the four-year degree requirement for thousands of state jobs, which has led to a 41% year-over-year increase in non-degree hires as well as becoming a model for other states and employers across America.
